Fire-escape



(No Model.)

s. H. BINGAMAN,

FIRE ESCAPE.

No. 281,235. Patented Jiuly l7, 1883.

7 E g W q {I V A.

N. PETER mnwmm' w. Washmgian a. c,

UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL H. BINGAMAN, OF LAUBELTON, ASSIGNOR OF THREE-FOURTHS TO A. H. BILL, OF LEVVISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

Fl RE-ESCAPE.

SPEGIIEFIUATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 281,235, dated July 17, 1883.

Application filed April 3, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL H. BINGAMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Laurelton, in the county of Union and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFireEscapesof which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

Figure l is an elevation of a suflicient portion of a building to illustrate the manner of attaching my improved fire-escape thereto. Fig. 2 is a similar view when the escape-ladders are down. Fig. 3 is a view of the portion of the interior of the building. Fig. 4 is a perspective of one of the spring-locks and the adjacent devices detached. Fig. 5 is a cross-sec tion through one of the windows. Fig. 6 is a partial crosssection on the line of one of the crank-axes.

In the drawings, A represents a wall of a building having a series of windows, B, both wall and windows being of any of the ordinary or any preferred styles.

The fire-escape proper is constructed as follows:

C represents a permanent or stationary support constructed of a curved metallic plate, being concavo-convex in cross-section, and being preferably about semicircular in section.

Itis rigidly secured to the outer face of the wall A of the building in any suitable way. Braces can bebuilt into the wall, if the latter be of brick or masonry, to which braces the support 0 can be fastened. If the structure be of wood, the braces can be fastened to the studding, or to stronger uprights especially provided for this purpose. This supporting part may be cast orrolled or otherwise made in one piece, or in two" or more secured toget-her.

D represents a movable or swinging support arranged to swing on lines parallel to the stationary part 0. It also is of the form' of a concave-convex plate, semicircular in cross section, and of a diameter somewhat greater than that of the stationary part 0.

E E E E 13* represent the rounds, steps, or rods which are used to permit escape from the windows, these being at their ends pivotally connected to the supports 0 and D. They are pivoted in such manner that the support D can rise or fall freely, motion thereof being permitted by means of the pivotal connections of the steps or rounds. As the support D is semi circular in cross-section and can be placed over the support 0, it, (said support D,) when folded up against the wall, will fit tightly thereto. Therefore there will be upon the outside of the escape no means left by which ac cess can be had to the upper windows when the escape is not in use. Moreover, the appearance of the outside of the wall will beless marred and disfigured by the escape. At the lower end the swinging or moving support D carries a rod or bar, D, which extends to the ground when the ladder is down. To receive and support this rod or bar D a metallic plate is placed at the point where it strikes or apost or block of wood, stone, or other suitable material may be used for the same purpose. One 76 of the rounds'or steps of the ladder passes inwardly through the wallB to the inside,where it is provided with means by which the ladder can behel d up in its closed positiomthere being combined therewith also means by which the ladder can be released and lowered from any room in the tier or series. As shown, the step or round E is thus carried through the wall, it being formed with an axial part, c, mounted in a suitable bearing in the wall, the 80 axial part being connected with and terminating in an arm, F, situated at an angle to the axial part, and therefore operating as a crank. One or more of the otherrounds or steps, as at'E E, are also carried through the wall and provided with axial and crank arms. Preferably, each room in the tier or series is provided with a crank, F, by means of which the ladder can be drawn up and locked in its closed position from any room. However, this is not 0 essential, and but one crank is necessary to'effectively operate the mechanism. The ladder is locked in its. elevated or closed position by means of a spring-catch, G G G. This is shown as being constructed with a long flexi- 5 ble arm, G, and the part G, by means of which it can be fastened to the wall at any suitable point, and a catch at G which may be formed by bending the end of the spring over to produce a square shoulder, as at there being an inclined surface, 9, which will permit the end of the spring to lie in the path of one of the cranks F. When the ladder is being thrown upward, the crank F is drawn down, engaging with the face 9, and throwing the spring back until the crank F engages with the shoulder at 9. After this occurs, the ladder will be held in its uppermost or locked position until the shoulder g is drawn out far enough to release the crank. The release of the crank can be effected from any room in a tier or series by the following devices:

H represents a rook-shaft having its ends mounted in suitable bearings, as at h. In each room of the series there is a crank-arm, I, attached to the rod H, to which crank the occupant of the room has access when it is necessary to release the ladder.

J is a supplemental crank by which the shaft H can be connected with the spring G G. This connection is effected through another rockshaft, K, which is mounted in a bearing at k, and has an arm, k, situated beneath or back of the part G of the spring. The crank J lies back of the crank-arm of the shaft K, and when the shaft H is turned outward the crankarm J will throw outward the arm of shaft K,

and with it the spring G. When the shaft H is turned on its axis far enough, there will re sult such a throwing out of the shoulder g as to release the crank F, after which the ladder will drop, the weight of the swinging support D being sufficient to insure its dropping instantly.

The ladder is shown as being double-that is to say, there is a series of folding steps or rounds upon each side of the series of windows, the series upon the other side of the window being locked in a manner similar to that which I have above described-that is to say, by means of a crank, F, and a spring, L L. The rock-shaft K extends across the win dow and has an arm engaging with the spring L L, the same as the arm 70 engages with the spring G. It will be seen that the rock-shaft is connected with every room in the series,

and that when it is turned upon its axis by rocking the bar K it will release both of the ladders.

With the parts above described I have also combined a simple but efficient means of cansing an alarm throughout the tier of rooms. M M represent bells, which, by means of arms m, are firmly attached to the shaft H. When said shaft is rocked from any one room, all of the bells in the series will be sounded, giving an instant alarm to all the rooms.

. In order to allow an alarm to be sounded from the ground-floor, where, under ordinary circumstances, a ladder will not be necessary for escape, I provide the shaft H with a supplemental crank, as shown at I, within reach of persons standing on the lower floor, by which said shaft can be turned. This will sound an alarm through all the rooms, and at the same time release the ladders and have them ready for escape.

What I claim is- 1. In a fire-escape, the fixed support 0, the rising and falling support D, the rods E, hinged to the supports, the rod E, hinged thereto, projecting through the wall, the crank carried thereby, the spring-catch on theinside of the wall, the vertical rock-shaft, means in each room of the series for operating the rock-shaft, and means for connecting said shaft with the spring to disengage it, substantially as set forth.

2.. In a fire-escape, the fixed or permanent supports secured to the wall on opposite sides of the tier of windows, the swinging supports, and the rods or steps pivotally connected thereto, forming two ladders situated at an inclination to each other, and arranged to have the movable supports come into close proximity when down, substantially as set forth.

3. In a fire-escape, the fixed supports secured to the wall, the swinging support, the pivoted rods or steps, the rods or steps projecting through the wall into the several rooms of the tier, the series of cranks respectivelyattached to said inwardly-projecting rods or steps, and means for automatically locking the ladder in its uppermost position, substantially as set forth. I

4. The combination of the folding ladder,

the look upon the inside, the means for con necting the ladder and the lock, the vertical rock-shaft H, adapted to be moved from each of the-several rooms, and means for connect ing said rock-shaft with the lock, substantially as set forth.

5. In a fire escape, the vertical folding ladder upon one side of the window, means for locking said ladder, the vertical folding ladder upon the other side of the window, the means for looking it, the rock-shaft mounted transversely across the line of the windows, means for engaging said rook-shaft with both sets of locking devices, and means extending to the several rooms of the tier for operating said cross rock-shaft, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, with the vertical folding ladder, of apivoted step or round passing loosely through the stationary support for the In testimony whereof I affix my signature in.

presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL H. BINGAMAN.

Witnesses:

G. B. MILLER, D. BRIGHT MILLER. 

